Survivor: California
by pikachuhunter1
Summary: Welcome to Survivor: California... Survivor makes for the American landmass in this season, but the wild west is even more wild than can be imagined. Join 15 contestants in this startling game. Who will survive?


**Survivor: California**

Note: Welcome to Survivor: California where 15 contestants will be competing for the ultimate prize. Who will survive?  
>Co-authored by pikachuhunter1, Lightning-Alchemist-Rini, and Sanablades. We're not telling who wrote what. Any reference to individuals living or dead is purely by chance. We apologize in advance for any problem concerning this.<br>Disclaimer: We do not own Survivor. This is solely for the purpose of enjoyment on the part of ourselves and our readers.

**Chapter 1: Ceremony**

Angela clenched her fists til her knuckles turned white; this was it. The moment she had been waiting for...Survivor California. The sun, the air...she coughed. Maybe not so much the air. The dazzling white beaches astounded her. "Can't wait!"

"Yeah!" Jess responded as she ran over to Angela, her bag slung over her shoulder. "It's going to be great...I wonder who else is in this!" She smiled to her friend.

"Well I know there will maybe be some hot guys." Angela suddenly blushed. "Don't get me wrong. I'm in it to win it...but a little attention of the opposite sex wouldn't be bad either." she picked up her tan and white bag.

Jess laughed a little as she sat down on the sand. She traced her finger through the fine grains and wrote out her name. "Yep. Makes the game a little more fun, you know?" There was a short pause, and then she said, "Well, this is the meeting place, so it shouldn't be much longer until we get to see the competition."

"Good, cause I'm bored out of my mind." Angela relaxed back on the sand, hands behind her head, and burnt orange hat pulled over her eyes. She sat up at a yell behind them. "Speak of the devil."

"Huh?" Jess scrambled to her feet and shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand. A group of people were approaching them, and they were making a lot of noise. "About time...heh. It's a group of guys, Angela!"

"Please don't tell me we are the only girls?" she groaned. "I mean surrounded by guys really isn't too much of a problem...but cavemen strength really isn't my thing." she giggled.

"We better not be... A little too much testosterone for my tastes," Jess laughed. "It's only a group of seven guys...and we make nine. Maybe the rest are girls?"

"Hey!" a voice yelled from the opposite direction. Angela glanced up. A girl in a bikini top and jean shorts was running toward them. "Am I late?"

"Paige? Is that you?" Jess asked as she ran over to her. "Of course you're not late! Just in time! See? Angela? Girl power!" She dragged the new girl over to join the larger group that was forming.

Angela wrapped her arms about the necks of both girls, standing between them. "We should really stick together in this. I have a good feeling about this trio." She grinned just as the boys made it to them too.

"Oh, I'm for it," Paige said.

"Same here!" Jess whispered as she smiled at the other two. The crowd was thick now, so they would have to save their evil plotting for later.

Angela caught sight of a blond boy, his hair flipped in the wind and he flashed the girls a charming smile. "Morning ladies." Angela groaned at this, she knew the type.

"And who might this be...?" Jess mumbled, already a bit turned off by his actions.

Paige smiled and whispered. "Our resident sucker."

"Sounds about right," Jess whispered back with a small giggle, making sure that the playboy didn't hear a word.

The camera crew was already setting up and running a mike check as Angela strolled up to the blond. "I'm Angela. What's your name?" she held out her hand.

"Name's Ryan," the blond responded with a half-smile. He shook her hand, but didn't let go of it. "Nice to meet you, Angie."

There was another girl in the back giving her the stink eye as she talked with Ryan, and deciding to play it up she leaned in closer and whispered. "My pleasure Ryan. Really it is." she smiled as it seemed the other girl was about to fly into a rage. Perfect...she'd made an enemy already. What fun.

"You know...it's pretty obvious already that you're not that bad," Ryan said, his voice smooth. "I'll want to talk with you later about the game...you alright with that, babe?"

Jess and Paige looked on their friend from the crowd, laughing together. "This gets better and better," Paige said. Laughing, Jess agreed.

It was clear by the camera crew that things were going to start in only a few minutes. Many of the people selected for Survivor's newest season began to feel the anxiety of being on a reality show for the first time. Jess smirked, and the focused back on Angela and Ryan.

Angela winked at one of the cameramen. "Sure." she winked at Ryan and turned towards the set up. "Be sure to get my good side." she slapped her rump and laughed aloud. She planned to enjoy every minute of this.

The camerman blushed. "Su-sure m'am."

Angela strolled back to her two friends. "This is in the bag."

"Totally." Jess said. Not a moment later, all the cameras glowed with their red LEDs. They were now recording. The game was on. The entire group parted as a man walked through and stood up on a platform. He wore khaki shorts and a loose, hawaiian-print tee.

"Welcome!" called out across the hushed crowd of contestants. "My name is Jeff Probst, as you all know, and I will be your host." He winked to the camera. "This is Survivor: California! Don't think you will all be pampered with the stars, though...Nope! This is the mostly unpopulated part of California, where an Indian tribe has made its home for the past five hundred years. Before you are separated into your tribes, you will get a chance to meet them...it is only by their blessing that you may stay on the land."

Angela stood up on her toes and cheered with everyone else. There had to be like 15 or 18 people here. She'd watched a few episodes of Survivor prior to coming here, so she had some idea of what to expect. She only hoped most of the others weren't as fortunate.

Jess shouted with excitement. She had only seen one season of Survivor, but the one she had seen was a bit similar to this. There was a tribe involved in it, she remembered. The group in that season had to go through a ceremony as well.

The red LEDs on the cameras went off and the cameramen began to pack up. A single cameraman left his camera on and followed the host closely. Jeff motioned to the group as he walked through, headed for a nearby forest. "This way," he said.

The group began following Jeff, and as they were walking, Jess noticed someone she hadn't noticed before, but struck her as familiar. He was fiddling with a beach rock, not taking notice of anyone. He stumbled once or twice over the ground, which caused his attention to become alert. As he did, his eyes met with Jess.

She looked at him curiously, then sped to catch up with him. "Uh, hi, I'm Jess," she said.

"Caleb," he said with a smile. "Uh, that's my name." His dirty-blond hair fell over his eyes for a second, before he whipped it to the side.

"Ah, Caleb," Jess said with a smile. "Good luck in the game."

"I don't think I have any 'Good Luck'!" Caleb laughed, scratching the back of his head before putting his hands into his pockets.

"I guess we'll just have to see..." Jess said. Caleb seemed like the kind of person who would work well with the Alliance Angela, Paige, and herself were already plotting. She made a note to ask them later. "You seem pretty strong; I don't think you have a thing to worry about."

"Heh, thanks." He smiled shyly. "So do you know anyone here?"

"Yes, actually." Jess caught him on the arm and pulled him over to a small group of girls. "Angela! Paige! This is Caleb," she said as she released his arm.

Angela looked at Caleb, then the girls. She had suspicion, but decided to trust Jess's judgement on this. She wasn't planning to get knocked out of the race anytime soon...something jogged at her brain though and she dug through her bag.

"Guys put what you can in your shirts. I dunno if this is like China but they only let you keep what you had on. I just want to be prepared." she smiled at Caleb. "You too."

"Thanks for the tip," he replied, digging through his bag to find any useful items. "So... you think this game will be fun... or treacherous?"

"Can't know yet..." Jess answered. "But I think we'll find out soon, once we get to know everyone."

Angela placed a hand mirror in her pocket, a pack of gum, stuffed a few changes of underwear and clean shirts in her own baggy shirt she wore, a ball of string, and a pocket knife...one of those little swiss army ones. She thought it over and added a lighter she always carried. She didn't smoke...she just liked the flame.

The other guys and girls following along stared at their little group like they had completely lost their minds.

Ryan slung his arm around Angela's neck.

Where had he come from? She almost swatted him away like an annoying fly, then remembered what she was here for and groaned.

"So, what's up?" Ryan asked nonchalantly. "Trying to make your boobs bigger? Cause I gotta tell you...you're not suffering there."

Now Angela really wanted to hit him.

But she didn't get a chance to because the sound of yelling surrounded them. It was like a chant, or some sort of ancient call that built in volume the closer they were to it's source. Angela's heart vibrated with the sound and she actually felt a cold chill crawl up her spine.

Jess froze when she saw the brush rustling nearby. She grabbed Caleb's arm, forcing him to stop. He gave her a strange look, but she pointed ahead, wear spears could be seen emerging from the branches.

"Looks like we found the place..." Paige whispered to the others.

The tribal chanting moved to a final, ringing note that blasted in the contestant's ears. Many of them recoiled at the sound, but immediately after was an even more deafening silence. Everyone looked to Jeff, who held his arms out to both sides to signal them to be silent.

Angela waited in anticipation, glancing out of the corner of her eyes at the others. First impressions were everything. And this was a game of chance. She'd already made up her mind on a few, and singled out a few others she thought of as being useful...if they were placed in the same tribe that is.

She stood silent with the others and waited, barely breathing and flicking her toes in her shoes.

Then it happened. The trees seemed to part as dozens of tribal men and women rushed out in their native clothing, which consisted primarily of woven branches and vines that were just enough to cover the private areas. They rushed on the contestants, pulling them onwards through the brush as they danced around them, singing.

Soon, the whole procession entered a clearing with huts at the sides and a large fire in the center. The group was forced into a dance with the natives around the fire. As each one rounded a single complete circle of dancing, they were given a brown cloak with animals drawn on it with black, red, and green dye. Each cloak was marked with different animals and designs, but all were beautiful. When all the contestants had completed their circle, they were asked to sit down in a group. The chief, who stood in front of them with his arms raised above his head, nodded to Jeff.

"You have now completed your first ceremonial right," Jeff explained. The group cheered briefly, some sharing excited high-fives or clapping. A few sat silently, waiting for his next words. "It is important that you not lose these ceremonial cloaks," he continues, "If you do, you will be plagued by the ancient, restless spirits of these forests. They are part of the guard that will protect you while you live in this forest. The second half of the ceremony, where you will receive the other guard, begins now."

Immediately after he finished speaking, the decorated chief of the tribe screeched and dropped his hands to his spoke a few words most of the people watching could not understand and gestured to them.

Angela almost felt like laughing at the mention of spirits earlier. Good or bad there was no such thing. She enjoyed it though, figuring it was all for show. Ryan though, still tailing her like a lost puppy, had no such thoughts and laughed loudly.

"Isn't this great!"

"Shhh..." Paige held a finger to her lips. "Don't be so rude."

"Totems are the protective spirits' way of choosing and providing individual protection to each person." Jeff read from a card as the Chief spoke. "To each Survivor here you will be granted one protective animal in the form of a wooden charm you will wear about your necks."

Jess leaned forward, her eyes were shining and she could hardly wait to find out what animal she was.

"When your name is called you will step forward to receive your animal." Jeff turned to the Chief who pulled out a small wooden shape. It appeared to be an American alligator, though with no defining features and a dark brown color. There was a worn string attached to it's curved tail. "Ryan. You're up first."

The blond boy stood and dusted his pants off. "That's me." He grinned in a cheeky way and made his way up front. The Chief nodded and motioned for Ryan to lean over and with a flourish placed the totem around his neck.

"Spirit of Water Gator...this man is now under your protection," Jeff read from his card. Ryan nodded, and, after a pat on his shoulder from the chief, he returned to his seat.

A few more names were called. One girl received a beaver, and another a deer. Then there was an older man who received a brown bear.

"Jess." Jeff suddenly called out, and the girl froze in her seat.

"Go." Angela nudged her.

Jess smiled to her friend, then stood. She was nervous yet excited about receiving her animal spirit guardian, and the thought of it made her shake. The chief pulled out a wooden charm shaped like a mongoose that was hanging from a thin rope.  
>"Spirit of the Mongoose...this woman is now under your protection," Jeff said. With that, the Chief slipped the rope over her head. She sped back to her spot on the ground and sat next to Angela. Excitedly, she examined the lightly colored wood shape, running her finger over it to test its smoothness.<p>

"Wow..." she whispered. "Not a super awesome animal, but this is pretty cool. I wonder what yours is," she wondered to Angela.

The next one up wasn't herself like Angela hoped, but a younger boy. Probably no more then 18. He had brownish hair and honey brown eyes. She tried to control her blush as he walked up. Angela thought when she first arrived she'd be the youngest at 22...on the seasons of Survivor she'd watched the contestants were much older. The young being very rare.

Turned out the young man's name was Jamie. He received a wolf totem.

Angela was so busy staring at Jamie she almost missed her name being called.

"If you are done admiring his ass," someone giggled from behind Angela and Jess.

Angela excused herself and walked stiffly up to the stage, hoping she'd get something cool and not a turtle or something.

The chief pulled out a brown and shiny wooden piece that looked like it had wings. Angela's eyes widened. Couldn't be...

"Spirit of Falcon..." Jeff began and Angela tried not to squeal. "This woman is delivered into your protection."

She walked back slowly, each step feeling like several miles. She was a falcon...that was just...

Angela sat beside Jess who high-fived her. "Lucky dog. You got a bird."

"Caleb," Jeff called. "Your next," Caleb fidgeted a bit as his name was called. He half-heartily stepped in front of everyone.

"Spirit of the Owl, watch over this one," Jeff said, handing the figurine to Caleb. Caleb quickly moved back toward his seat, trying to draw as less attention as he could.

"And last...Paige." Jeff called.

The girl sitting with Angela and Jess stood and made her way to the stage. She didn't even flinch...such confidence.

Paige smirked as a wooden piece was pulled out and quickly placed over her head.

"Spirit of Cougar..."

And almost too soon everyone had their totems and the next essiential part of Survivor, they all knew, was coming up. Dividing into tribes.

"Congratulations for you have been given your animals. Tonight, you will be divided based on them. Those of you bearing herbivores will be in one tribe and omnivores and carnivores in another. Please stand with your tribe."

The groups divided according to their animals and stood expectantly. "Herbivores," Jeff continued, "You are now the Guanaco Tribe. Ominvores and carnivores, you are the Chechatonga Tribe." He passed out a green bandanna to the first mentioned tribe and red bandannas to the other. "Keep these safe. Now, head to camp. Guanaco go to the right. Chechatonga go to the left. You'll find your camp marked by a flag. Tomorrow, your game of predator and prey begins."

-  
>Contestant Corner:<br>At the end of every chapter, we will give you the biography of one of the 15 contestants! This time, we will be looking into the contestant referred to in the chapter as 'Jess.'

Name: Jessica Goodwin

Age: 22

Occupation: Education student + teacher intern at a high school

Likes: Ice cream, athletic activities, intelligent conversation, writing, reading, playing video games, and anything that may give a thrill, travelling

Dislikes: Broccoli, sitting around while doing nothing, busywork

Family: Mom, Dad, Stepmom, Stepdad, 2 brothers, 2 sisters. No current relationships.

History: Jessica grew up as a military child, moving from place to place without ever settling roots. Her parents divorced when she was five and has since lived with her mom and stepdad. She studied hard in school and realized her passion was to help others, and so went into the Education field. Now, she is an intern at a high school close to her college. 


End file.
